


Come out into the sky

by Sa_kun



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: F/M, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-08
Updated: 2012-11-08
Packaged: 2017-11-18 06:12:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/557783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sa_kun/pseuds/Sa_kun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Daniel attempts to persuade Jack into running off to Atlantis with him and Teal'c successfully convinces Jack to throw a party.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Come out into the sky

**Author's Note:**

> So, I just found this sitting in a forgotten corner on my hard drive. Which I thought was a shame, since I'd already written it and all. So here you go. Obviously, this was written a long time ago, most likely before the removal of DADT. This assumes you've seen the end of Stargate SG-1 as well as know more or less what Stargate Atlantis is all about. Title from inspired by a CCR song I don't think I've ever heard, but thought looked pretty.

"Atlantis."

"Yes, Jack. Atlantis."

Jack scowled. "The answer's always gonna be no, Daniel."

Daniel gritted his teeth. "Dammit, Jack!"

"Ah!"

"I need to do this, Jack! Can't you understand that?"

Jack glared. "I need _you_ here. Can't you get that?"

Daniel rubbed his forehead. "I need to _do something_! I'm an archaeologist. I need to excavate. I need to translate—"

"Ancient stuff. I know. You got heaps of it. The answer's no, Daniel."

"I don't have a purpose anymore! Atlantis was my dream. I could do so much _more_ there than here."

Jack leaned back in his chair – well, Daniel's chair, but who was picky? "Daniel—"

"No, Jack."

Jack glared, his forehead furrowed. "What about me, then? Not old enough for ya to be interesting, am I? Too alive?" he sneered.

Daniel crossed his arms. "That's not the point, and you know it."

"No? If I let you go off to Atlantis, then you and I both know you ain't gonna come back. Not gonna happen. Sorry."

"No, you're not."

Jack nodded. "You're right, I'm not."

Daniel pursed his lips and looked away.

When he turned his head back, his eyes were focused entirely on Jack. It was the look that warned Jack to be real careful 'cause Daniel was about to do that 'thing' that always got him his way. There wasn't a single military member who'd ever worked with Daniel that didn't know to take cover from it. To back away. Jack was trapped in the chair behind Daniel's desk. Daniel leaned over the desk, his hands grasping the edge with white-knuckled grips.

"So come with me."

"What?"

Daniel's eyes were intense. "I said: Come with me. Jack," he enthused, voice low and hushed and so damned _focused_. "You'd be the ranking military officer. Don't pretend not to know they haven't wanted a big shot like yourself over there since the beginning. They'd welcome the idea so fast we'd be there _tomorrow_ , Jack—" Daniel always spoke quickly when he was on to something— "Woolsey would be pissed that it was you, yeah, but he's IOD. They like protocol and rules; you know they do! And I heard rumours they were sending Sam back there again—"

"'Cause we are. She's way more efficient over there. Calms McKay down, too. Makes him more efficient. Takes some of the load off Sheppard's shoulders, too. Makes him more efficient," Jack said, laying it out practically. "Woolsey's gonna stay on base, but not in any leading capacity."

"See? See, Jack? If we went, we could help out, too! I know I could contribute with so much—"

"We _both_ know you could. You know what else?"

Daniel narrowed his eyes. "It'd boost morale?" he drawled.

Jack scoffed. "Sure as hell it would. But no, not that. You see, you and I?" Jack waggled a finger between them. "People haven't been _asking_ and that sure as hell ain't 'cause they haven't been wondering or 'cause they're too polite, and you know it!"

"…what?" Daniel blinked. "You can't seriously be suggesting they promoted you, transferred you to _Washington_ just to get you away from me?"

"Don't be stupid!" Jack snapped. "The transfer? Yeah. The promotion? No way in hell. Don't reward fag—"

The doorbell rang.

"Oh, for crying out loud!"

Daniel smiled grimly. "This isn't over. Stop pouting."

"I wasn't pouting!" Jack called after Daniel.

"Of course not," Daniel said over his shoulder. His tone was just teasing enough that Jack stuck out his tongue.

"Oh, you," Daniel said, eyebrow raised.

"Hi, Jackson. Look, I brought Teal'c!" Mitchell's grin was too wide for Daniel's taste right then.

"I…see that. Hi, Teal'c."

Teal'c inclined his head. "He was most insistent, DanielJackson."

"D'you have company?"

"Company?"

Mitchell nodded, pointing a thumb back in the direction of the driveway. "Yeah, couldn't help but notice the big truck, there."

"Oh, no. It's just Jack."

Teal'c inclined his head. "May I speak with him? I have a most pressing matter to take up with him."

Daniel nodded. "Yeah, sure, he's in the office. Go right in."

Teal'c, after another little bow, went in.

"Jack…being?" Mitchel wondered as he followed Daniel into the kitchen.

"Jack O'Neill. You want coffee? Beer? Jack brought some."

Daniel opened the fridge. There was an entire row filled with beer bottles.

"Oh, sweet! Decent beer!" Mitchell grabbed himself a bottle while Daniel poured himself a cup of coffee. Daniel briefly wondered if he should feel insulted that Mitchel obviously thought Daniel couldn't get 'decent beer'. "So, General O'Neill's here?"

"Yep." Daniel rooted around in one of the cupboards for something to eat. Like cookies or something. "Aha!" Daniel grabbed the jar and put it on the table.

"Didn't know he was coming 'round to the SGC."

"Oh, he's not," Daniel absentmindedly assured, trying to work the damn jar open. Jack always closed them so tightly. The lid came off with a loud 'pop'. "Cookie?"

"Thanks."

"So what brings you here?"

Mitchell shrugged. "Nothing. Just, y'know, hanging with Teal'c. Didn't seem surprised that the General was here."

Daniel smiled. "Why would he be? This is Jack's house."

Mitchell frowned. "So why're you the one living in it, then?"

"Because I asked him to," Jack said suavely, walking inside the kitchen. Teal'c wandered in right behind him, a pleased smirk on his face.

Mitchell stood up, clutching the chair as support. "Sir!"

Jack rolled his eyes. "Oh, sit down." He narrowed his eyes at Daniel. "Why're you eating my cookies?"

"I bought them. They're mine."

"My house. Which makes them my cookies."

"Does not."

"Does too."

"Does not."

"Jack—"

"Uh-uh, Daniel! _Mine_."

"Jack."

Teal'c smoothly intervened. "Perhaps you might consider it 'shared custody'?"

"Yes, Jack, you take the jar, and I keep the cookies. Good idea, Teal'c!" Daniel's smile was wide and beguiling.

Teal'c smile and inclined his head. "Thank you, DanielJackson."

Jack snorted. He grabbed a beer, then sat down in a chair next to Daniel and leaned back. "So. What brings you here, Mitchell?" he drawled.

"I was just tagging along with Teal'c here," Mitchell answered. "Didn't know you'd be here, sir. Could've told me you knew," Mitchell directed the last part to Teal'c.

"I had not thought it of consequence. The week number is uneven, therefore O'Neill is at home. Is it not common knowledge?"

Daniel and Jack both shrugged. "Guess not," they said at the same time.

"I see," Teal'c responded.

"So…" Mitchell took a sip of his beer. "This your house, General?"

Jack smiled. "Nice, isn't it?"

"Very. Jackson's what, then, your house-sitter?"

Jack snorted. Daniel kicked him under the table. "Easy, Daniel." Daniel gave him a sweet smile, then turned back to Mitchell. "I don't see how it's any of your business, Colonel."

"Sorry, sir."

Mitchell wasn't looking very sorry, though. Just a helluva lot curious.

"He's my friend, Jack," Daniel added. "When Jack got transferred to Washington, he asked me to look over his house for him, but—"

"—since Danny here's incapable of looking over an apartment. Well." Jack shrugged.

"That is correct. DanielJackson has indeed had several residences over the years."

"So what happened?"

Teal'c smirked. "He forgot to pay his rents on numerous occasions."

"Yeah, yeah. Very funny."

"Oh, but it is." Jack nudged Daniel's cup of coffee closer with the butt of his bottle. "Drink up."

Daniel cast a suspicious look at Jack. "Why?"

"Teal'c found us something to do." Jack and Teal'c looked way too pleased with themselves.

It made Daniel wary. _Very_ wary. "I was under the impression we already _had_ something to do."

Jack raised his eyebrows.

"You know, the fair. And you wanted to go fishing."

For a short moment, Jack looked torn, but then he rubbed his hands together. "It'll still be there tomorrow. T-man here wants a good ol'barbeque." As if to defend his case, Jack added, " _He_ won't be here tomorrow."

"On the contrary, O'Neill, I do not leave until Tuesday."

"Not helping here, Teal'c. Daniel?"

On the one hand, Daniel had been looking forward to going to the fair. The newspapers had said it was stocked with, what Jack had dubbed as, 'old stuff'. Then again, they hadn't had a proper 'ol'barbeque' a la Jack O'Neill for a really long time, either. Not since before Mitchell's time at the SGC.

"Oh, all right. Barbeque it is. But! This means we go to the fair tomorrow. No whining. And I drive."

Jack narrowed his eyes. Daniel was a menace in a car. "No whining, I buy lunch and you let me drive, there and back."

"And coffee."

"Fine."

"Deal."

"Good. I'll call the people."

"Don't forget Vala!" Daniel called after Jack.

"…the people?" Mitchell asked.

Daniel shrugged. "Oh, you know. Sam, Vala."

"General Hammond if his presence is nearby."

"The people. When we first started the barbeque nights, people just showed up. Everyone was always bringing something, or someone. The garden'd be packed with people."

"Why'd you stop?" Mitchell asked.

Daniel smile was a little thin. "Jack got moved to Washington, and I've been banned under pain of death from ever assembling a party tent. Which I'm perfectly capable of, if Jack wasn't so damned stubborn about it."

Jack held the phone away from his mouth. "Uh-uh, Dannyboy. It's not some pieces of canvas you can just pull and twist at like you did on Abydos. You ripped two before— Carter!" He went back out as Sam started talking on the other end.

Daniel pursed his lips, realised it looked like he was pouting and covered it up by draining his coffee in one go.

"There's something up with Jackson and O'Neill."

Vala leaned closer to Mitchell, her eyes sparkling with curiosity and delight. "Oh! What? They both seem perfectly all right to me."

Mitchell narrowed his eyes. "Did y'know this is O'Neill's house, not Jackson's?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yep. General himself confirmed it. Jackson never say anything about it to you?"

Vala shook her head. "No, he never mentioned it. Did he give you a tour the first time you were here?"

"Yeah. Boy's he got stuff stowed away everywhere. Man's like a hamster."

"Yes." Vala was grinning widely. "Did he show you the bedrooms?"

"Not the inside, no. Why?"

"Because bedrooms say a lot about a person. Didn't you know?"

"What're you two on about?"

Vala and Mitchell both gave Sam wide smiles. "Nothing," they chorused, thoroughly unconvincing.

"Now why don't I believe that?" With a groan, Sam sat down next to Vala on the blanket.

"Because we are lousy liars who really do want to be caught, don't we, Cam?"

Sam laughed. "Right. That must be it."

"No," Vala said after just a short moment, "What we're really wondering is why Daniel never told us that he's living in General O'Neill's house."

Sam blinked, then shrugged. "I guess we just assumed. I mean, I always thought everyone knew."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Sam grinned. "Just that Daniel and General O'Neill is the worst kept secret of the SGC, ever."

"What?" Mitchell sounded scandalised enough that Sam winced and took a mental step back. Vala, on the other hand, had a gleam in her eyes that couldn't bode well.

"Oh, you know. It's just since day one when Daniel came back with us through the 'gate, half the base has been gossiping about Daniel and the General. Most of time it's just stuff like is there really a 'Jack O'Neill Instruction Manual for the Care and Protection of Dr Daniel Jackson When Off-world With Other Teams'. He never liked lending Daniel to other teams. Oh, right, and Daniel's fish was always a big topic, too. Or if the General really did drag Daniel off the base by the back of his shirt. Basically, whenever something happened that involved the two of them, everyone knew about it within a day." Sam spread her hands out in a leisure shrug. "I'm guessing General O'Neill finally got fed up with Daniel getting kicked out of every apartment he rented and told him to stay here. People were speculating for ages how he got Daniel to do that."

"Yeah, 'cause you and me both know Jackson couldn't follow an order to save his life."

Sam smiled. "Exactly. And he was _way_ worse under General O'Neill. Trust me."

Mitchel burst out laughing. "That's just not possible!"

But Sam nodded. "First planet we went to after he got back, Daniel rushed off after some Jaffa priests to chat them up. General was seriously thinking 'bout putting a leash on him."

Mitchell and Vala both continued laughing.

With a grin on her face, Sam sat back, leaning against the fence right behind her. From there you had a clear view of the garden. It was packed with people. She doubted everyone even knew everyone, but it'd never really mattered. O'Neill's barbeques had always been about having a good time and relaxing. Looked like it still worked that way. Next to her, Vala scooted closer and rested her head on Sam's shoulder. Sam could see Daniel from her position, deep in discussion with one of his fellow archaeologists. Sam didn't think she'd ever got the name of that one. She would've remembered being introduced to a woman almost seven feet tall. She practically towered over Daniel, and Daniel wasn't exactly short himself.

"I'm gonna grab a beer and some snacks. You guys want anything?"

"A soda," Sam said.

"I want chips."

Mitchel grinned. "I'll see what I can do."

"Soo…" Vala drawled, as they watched Mitchell's progress through the groups of people.

"So, what?" Sam shot the other woman a look, half curious, half wary. With Vala, everything was possible.

Vala sat up. Her smile was mischievous. "Did you know that only one of the two bedrooms here show any sign of being used? I checked. Daniel refused to open the doors, so I sneaked in the first moment I got." She looked extremely pleased with herself. "A bedroom says so much about the person living there, you know?"

Sam grinned. "Like I said, worst kept secret, _ever_."

"I thought there were rules?"

Sam nodded. "There are. Don't ask, don't tell. Really simple rule, you know. Oh, it's a lot more detailed, really, but it's never really been an issue. Being military, I'd never be able to ask General O'Neill about it. Teal'c and Daniel on the other hand…"

"Not military!" Vala exclaimed. "And neither am I!"

"Exactly." Sam smiled. "And everyone at the SGC always respected both of them too much to ever say anything, suspicions or not. I think, after Atlantis, the SGC is probably the most accepting and open base the USAF has."

"And why is Atlantis so open-minded?"

Vala and Sam both started. Neither of them had heard Daniel approach, but now he was crouched in front of them, that quirky little grin of his firmly in place.

"Jesus, Daniel! You startled me."

Daniel's grin widened. "I know," he said smugly. "Atlantis?"

"Started out as a civilian run operation. Scientists, you know?" Sam waggled her eyebrows, looking absolutely ridiculous. "And it's in a different _galaxy_. I think it was Sheppard who said that, really, they have way more important stuff to look out for. Like the Wraith. And they have Ronon."

Daniel rolled his eyes. "Please. I was there for a week."

"What?"

Daniel frowned at Vala. "He didn't proposition you? Sheppard told me he chased anything with, ah, well, anything that wasn't Wraith."

"Oh!" Vala's grin was extremely satisfied. "Oh, yes. He was _very_ good."

Sam narrowed her eyes and leaned in closer to Daniel. "Do you think he and Sheppard…?" She trailed off. "I couldn't ask."

Daniel's grin was smug and all-knowing at the same time. "Isn't it just maddening to be military?"

"Daniel!"

"I got the feeling Sheppard wouldn't exactly say no, if you know what I mean. But them being in the same team made it a little awkward to have casual assignations all the time. Um. Teyla told me. Her people are also very open. I think because of the constant threat of the Wraith they are a lot more open to people finding happiness wherever they can. It's quite fascinating, really, because—"

"What're you on about, Jackson?" Mitchell handed out his finds. Vala grinned delightedly at the plate of chips, and Sam accepted the bottle of soda with a nod.

"Mitchell. Hi. Um, just about how the peoples in the Pegasus galaxy are often very open to relationships that differ from the heterosexual norm you would usually expect to see here on Earth. I speculate—"

"Whoa! Way too much info! Geez, there's just some stuff you don't wanna know about." Mitchell gave a theatrical shudder.

Daniel's eyes turned shrewd. And cold. "I see." Casually, he added, "the people of Abydos were also very open about sex and relationships."

Mitchell frowned. "What's that got to do with anything?"

Standing up slowly, Daniel brushed his hands off on his jeans. "I lived with them for a year. Anthropologists _adapt_ so easily, after all." Daniel walked away, his hands crossed over his chest and his head facing straight at where Sam could only just make out O'Neill to be.

"What?"

Vala raised an eyebrow. "I think he just called you a narrow-minded bigot."

Sam nodded. "Exactly that."

Vala pursed her lips. " _And_ I think he also said that he doesn't care if he sleeps with a man or a woman."

This time, Sam shook her head. "No, he doesn't care much for preconceived, old fashioned notions and assumptions about gender roles. He and General Hammond talked a lot about that. He saw that the people we met when we stepped out of the 'gate had no idea about our conceptions or beliefs. Back then, new recruits were always instructed to have an open mind. General Landry wasn't as open to the idea, though, and told Daniel to stand down." Sam paused, lips pursed. "We still have the pamphlets, though."

"But…it's just _wrong_!"

Sam narrowed her eyes. "Which was exactly what the Europeans said whenever they encountered a new people. In South America. In Africa. In North America. It's wrong because it's not _us_. We destroyed all of their culture. Enslaved the people. What gives us the right?"

"I take it Daniel has talked a lot about this?" Vala interjected.

Sam nodded. "Oh yes. Unlike General Landry, though, General Hammond always listened."

"Something distresses you, DanielJackson."

Daniel stopped and turned around. Teal'c was standing regally to the side, his pose stoic. "What makes you think that?"

"You have adopted the stance in which you feel an urge to protect yourself. I have not seen it for quite some time."

Daniel realised that the arms he had crossed over his chest had slid down and changed position until he was, just like Teal'c intimated, effectively hugging himself. "Oh." Daniel's smile was self-deprecating.

"Can I be of assistance?"

Daniel shrugged. "I don't know. Um. I didn't realise Mitchell was so close-minded, you know?"

"I see." Teal'c nodded once. "I had not previously detected such beliefs myself."

"Has it ever come up?"

"Indeed not, DanielJackson."

"Exactly! When I was allowed to talk to all the new recruits at the SGC, the base was more open to the fact that whoever we encountered on the other side of the 'gate was _not_ going to be like them! I don't care if they believed it or not, but at least they were _open_ to the possibility! God, I miss having Jack on base."

"Indeed. I, too, find Stargate Command to be much different these days."

They had drifted away from the larger groups, gravitating towards the outer borders of the garden. The distant drone of voices and peals laughter was comforting in the stillness of the otherwise perfect night.

"Yeah." Daniel rubbed his nose, fiddled with his glasses. "They're, um, budgeting my department. Means it'll get smaller. Fewer resources, less money. Less people. They don't think what I do is important anymore."

"Your work has been invaluable, DanielJackson." Teal'c immediately rose up to Daniel's defence.

It warmed Daniel's heart, prompting him to offer a shy smile. "Thanks. But with the Goa'uld gone, the Ori dealt with…" Daniel shrugged. "I guess they just think I've done my bit. And Jack…" Daniel trailed off.

"What about O'Neill?"

"They're moving him to the Pentagon. He's not exactly thrilled about it."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "That is most troubling."

"I want to go to Atlantis. I'm tired of the military, of Jack being so far away, of not having a purpose."

"Will he not be further away if you go to Atlantis?"

Daniel shrugged, then hugged himself around the middle again. "Yeah, but he could come with me, you know? We could both go. It'd be something fresh and new. And they're not as strict over there. Not with the constant threat of the Wraith and the calming influence of the Athosians."

"And RononDex," Teal'c added. "A most formidable warrior."

Daniel laughed. "You too, huh?"

Teal'c's smile was almost wide. "Indeed." Then he withdrew the smile and gave Daniel a very serious look. "You did not go behind O'Neill's back."

Daniel blinked. Then he shook his head. "What? No. We were just talking about it earlier, me, Sam and Vala. Vala said it'd been _very_ good," he mumbled. Teal'c lifted a shoulder, but didn't otherwise comment. "Jack said they transferred him because of me. Well, maybe not me personally, but because me _and_ Jack. I know Landry knows _something –_ he's never liked me. He listens most of the time, but he doesn't _like_ me. If I applied for a transfer to Atlantis, I know Hammond would approve of it. Yeah, Jack'd call him and try and talk him out of it, but—"

"Didn't realise you wanted to get rid of me that bad, Danny."

Daniel sighed and closed his eyes. "I don't. You know I don't. But I can't stay at the SGC anymore."

"I shall take my leave," Teal'c said. Daniel wasn't surprised that he'd noticed Jack walking up to them. Hell, Daniel should've noticed too. Proved just how distracted he was.

"You don't have to—"

"I do." Teal'c looked between him and Jack. "You have several matters to discuss," he said smoothly, before bowing and striding away.

"I've always admired the way he walks," Daniel commented to Jack.

"Commanding."

"Yeah."

Jack stuffed his hands down the pockets of his jeans and turned to Daniel. "So?"

Daniel rolled his eyes. "They're cutting me down," he muttered. "I thought you knew. Got a bit mad you didn't tell me, then just figured you—"

"—didn't care?" Jack said it slowly, making Daniel feeling even more stupid for thinking it in the first place.

"Yeah, I know. Silly ol'me, right? Then I started thinking—"

"—after a most entertaining hissy fit, I wager." Jack looked amused.

Daniel bit his lip. "I don't have 'hissy fits', Jack," he bit out. "And anyway, that isn't the point, and you know it."

Jack just smiled. "Oh, but you do. Very. Cute."

"Jack." Daniel closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then opened them again and did his best to ignore Jack's mocking smile. " _Anyway_ , then I started thinking that if you hadn't told me, then, maybe it was because you didn't know, and that'd mean they'd gone behind your back. And that, well. That's bad, right?"

"Very bad," Jack agreed. He looked troubled. "So the recent yapping about Atlantis hasn't got anything to do with what you said this morning?"

"I wasn't yapping, and no. They're perfectly valid points. I just don't know how long I still have a position at the SGC. If the last thing I do is get to Atlantis, then fine. I can live with that. If I don't have a job at the SGC, then you and I both know there isn't much I'd be qualified for anymore."

Jack's scoff caught Daniel by surprise. "Don't be stupid, Daniel. You're way more qualified for whatever job you'd ever want, and you know it."

"Yes, and if what I want to do is be an archaeologist, Jack. What then? We both know what that society thinks of me."

Jack ran a hand through his hair. He started walking towards the trees just outside his garden. There was a fence somewhere around here, too. Jack could probably find it blindfolded. Daniel just knew it was around here _somewhere_. "Look, there's some big changes going on. Hammond's worried about it. Recommended I retire. Said, well. Said pretty soon, someone might've had enough of _not_ asking."

"Shit, Jack." Daniel took the hand Jack was holding out and allowed himself to be shown where the fence was, then let go of Jack and leaned back against the sturdy wood. "That's a bit more serious than just 'very bad'." Daniel frowned. "Wait, Hammond _knows_?"

"Daniel." Jack looked so amused. "All those talks you two had? Your _file_? D'you really think he wouldn't know? He was our commander for years!"

"Oh. He never…" Daniel grinned a little self-consciously. "What about my file?"

Jack smirked. He waggled his eyebrows and nudged Daniel's shoulder with his own. "Mexico '95. Julio Esteban."

" _That's in my file_?!" Daniel hissed.

"Whoever compiled it was very thorough. Anything might be a leak, you know?"

Shaking his head, Daniel slumped back against the fence. "No wonder Landry looks at me funny."

"He giving you trouble?"

"He doesn't _like_ me. Beyond that I'm not military. He listens, but doesn't _listen_." Daniel ran a hand through his hair. "But, _Mexico_? God, that was ages ago…" Daniel flashed Jack a smile. "Maybe I could go there?"

"No," Jack said stiffly. "Not Mexico."

"No?" Daniel laughed, feeling rather relived when Jack joined in. "God, you shoulda seen him, Jack. He was fucking gorgeous," Daniel mumbled. "Taught me how to load and shoot a gun. Then told me I was crap at it. Which, yeah, I was."

"Oh, yeah," Jack agreed.

It was late, nearing midnight, but the people milling about in Jack's – their? – garden didn't look to be thinning out. The party was still going strong, the late night filled with warmth and laughter. Seemed like more than just Teal'c and Jack had been missing these nights. It was almost nostalgic. And still, despite all the people and friends around, Daniel still found himself missing Janet. She had always been a big part of these gatherings, usually co-conspirator with Jack.

"You know," Daniel started a while later. "There's fish in the Pegasus galaxy, too."

Jack let out a long breath. He reached behind him, leaning casually against the fence. Daniel could feel the warmth from Jack's fingers against his, almost but not quite touching.

"Yeah, I know, Danny."


End file.
